The Hive — Inclusion or ExclusionBy Admin

May 26, 2010

As a relatively new beekeeper I am enchanted every evening as I watch the workings of the honeybees’ activities at the end of my workday. I sit several feet away in front of my two hives in a comfortable chair taking it all in. Their comings and goings are amazing.

The foraging bees are retuning from their long days work. This more than likely may be their next to last flight for it will soon be dark. Many are bringing back pollen in its many colors. Their little pollen baskets located on their hind legs are seen packed with yellow, orange, azure, even white pollen. As I watch I find myself wondering where and what each flower might have been especially the white. Some though appear to have nothing at all but in all reality that isn’t the case for they are carrying back the nectar that they’ve found while foraging.

The lady guard bees are ready to receive any and all foraging honeybee that brings something of value back to the colony. For every bee that arrives at the entrance is inspected. If they were foolish enough to have nothing, they would not be granted access to the hive and they could be killed. The success of the hive is the only purpose, their only concern, their only goal.

All honeybees who have returned with something are readily admitted for each and every one of them, regardless of their original origin is seen as having value to the hive. They have a contribution and because of it are accepted unconditionally. There isn’t any animosity, for there is no competition. It is all for the sake of the colony – the hive.

If we could only emulate their unconditional acceptance because of the value others can bring to the whole how much better could our world become? How much better could our communities function? How much better could our workplaces perform?

Often times though, at the beginning of a job the new employee is shunned, ostracized, and ignored. Ultimately they are made to feel like an outsider who has to earn their place in the organization. For whatever reason be it insecurity, a threat, disruption of the status quo most employees react like this freely without any reprimand from management and quite possibly with managements support.

If instead the new “kid” in town was seen to have the potential to contribute to the whole for the benefit of all, as the hiring authority thought so in the first place, how much more could be accomplished? How much more could be gained for the sake of the business?